Ramen has become one of New York’s most pervasive food obsessions, but too few people take advantage of its enormous potential as drunk food. After all, a big, salty bowl of soup and noodles is the ideal meal to soak up a night of boozing, or keep a burgeoning bender on the rails. In this respect, college kids are onto something.

Part of the problem is that the city’s late-night ramen scene is shrouded in mystery, with whispers of places that sound more like speakeasies than slurp shops. The Japanese-heavy corridor of Midtown East is full of night-owl options if you know which doors to open. But beyond that, there are a number of other bowls worth seeking out when you’re looking for a reviving snack, including a reservations-only ramen feast inside a Japanese meat emporium.

Recently, we took some after-hours ramen spots for a test drive to find out how to get in, what to order, and where to drink before/after you eat. Here are our favorites, with all the vital details you need to make achieve late-night ramen glory.

Takashi

Address and phone: 456 Hudson St (212-414-2929)
Website:takashinyc.comLate-night ramen hours: Fridays and Saturdays, seatings at midnight and 12:45am
What's the deal?: Getting Takashi's new late-night ramen involves a bit of forethought: You have to make weekend reservations by emailing ramen@takashinyc.com, starting at 5pm on Monday of that week. But for what it lacks in spontaneity, the Takashi ramen makes up for in uniqueness. In a town swimming with tonkotsu, miso, and shoyu broths, the kitchen here stays true to the restaurant's all-cow-everything philosophy, producing a nose-to-tail beef ramen that's unlike anything else you'll find in the city.
What to order: The all-beef ramen ($16) is the only option, but thankfully it's delicious. Every element is engineered to create a cohesive bowl that's at once elegant and in-you-face. The broth comes from cow bone simmered for 24 hours with garlic and ginger, then thickened with collagen. On top, there's a rich slab of braised beef belly, as well as crispy deep-fried intestines that add textural contrast to the thin, smooth noodles and delicate soft-boiled egg. Throw back one of the Japanese craft beers on the short drinks list, or throw ramen-pairing wisdom out the window and share a bottle of sake with friends. Pro tip: Add a spoonful of the funky house red pepper-sauce, made with shrimp paste and 20 different spices.
Where to drink nearby: It's just a few blocks to Daddy-O's (44 Bedford St, 212-414-8884), an unpretentious watering hole that's a favorite of off-duty bartenders and fans of brown spirits.—Chris Schonberger

Hide-Chan

Address and phone: 248 E 52nd St (212-813-1800)
Website:hidechanramen.comLate-night ramen hours: Thursdays until 2am (last call 1am), Fridays until 4am (last call 3am)
What's the deal?: Hide-Chan serves some of the city's best ramen, period, so it would follow that it also serves the best late-night ramen—you've just got to know when to roll. On Thursday and Friday nights, the second-floor ramen-ya keeps its doors open late for a motley crew of off-the-clock restaurant works, Japanese businessmen, and groups of noodle lovers looking to sober up (or keep the night going). If you're slurping solo or with one other person, grab a seat at the bar and hoist a couple six-buck Sapporos while you eat. Unexpected bonus: Hide-Chan's late-night playlist is like a rap-nerd dream, with everything from Redman deep cuts to Nipsey Hussle setting the mood for a pork-fat party.
What to order: The best bowls here are anchored by Hide-Chan's renowned tonkotsu broth, cloudy with slow-cooked pork fat. For a restorative late-night meal, though, go for the Hakata Kuro Ramen ($9.75), which floats a dose of pitch-black charred garlic oil called mayu. It only takes one prod of chopsticks to coat all the toppings—crunchy scallions and wood-ear mushrooms, as well as as a tender slab of pork—with smoky flavor. You can specific both the firmness of the thin, housemade noodles (we like them al dente) and the richness of the broth. In the wee hours, there's no reason not to crank the intensity up to 11. Soon, any inklings of a hangover will be drowned out by globs of porky collagen.
Where to drink nearby: Circle the block and settle in for a few rounds of rye Manhattans at Hudson Malone(218 E 53rd St, 212-355-6607), a throwback saloon from legendary New York barkeep Doug Quinn.—Chris Schonberger

Tsukushi

Address and phone: 300 E 41st St (212-599-8888)
Late-night ramen hours: Monday to Saturday after 10pm (closed Sundays)
What's the deal?: Tsukushi—a semi-secret izakaya in the no-man's land east of Grand Central—serves an omakase-style menu of homey dishes like miso-baked cod and chilled eggplant until 10pm. When the dinner crowd dies down, chef Norihiko Manabe serves an after-hours menu of shoyu ramen, curry, fried rice, and the like until midnight (the clientele is mostly Japanese businessmen during the week, and a bit more lively on the weekend). Dip into the restaurant’s sake selection while you’re there, and if you don’t finish your bottle, Tsukushi will label it with your name and stash it behind the bar for your next visit. As closing time approaches, you might catch the chef winding down with a Bud behind the counter—a good time to say cheers to a great late-night meal.
What to order: There’s only one type of ramen on Tsukushi’s late-night menu: a simple, satisfying shoyu ($10) with wavy, chewy noodles and a clean soy-and-pork flavor. It's not particularly elegant, but this is a hearty, soul-reviving bowl—exactly the type of dish we crave after a night of boozing.
Where to drink nearby: Elegant, old-fashioned cocktail lounge Campbell Apartment (89 E 42nd St, 347-335-0446)—housed in the restored private office of early 20th-century tycoon John W. Campbell—is located blocks away inside Grand Central Terminal.—Erin Mosbaugh

1 or 8

Address and phone: 66 S 2nd St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn(718-384-2152)
Website:oneoreightbk.comLate-night ramen hours: Fridays and Saturdays from midnight–2am
What's the deal?: This reasonably priced, unmarked Williamsburg sushi spot—known for serving one of the borough's best omakase menus—has a weekend-only, late-night menu featuring such satisfying dishes as chirashi (seasoned rice topped with slices of raw fish), ginger pork over rice, shrimp dumplings, and an excellent ramen option that changes depending on the night. The after-hours scene centers around the bar, so belly up with in-the-know Brooklynites and regain your strength with a salty bowl of ramen.
What to order: The rotating ramen special changes depending on the chef's mood, but on a recent visit, the salt pork ramen ($13) featured an earthy broth with a clean, focused flavor. The noodles were pleasantly chewy, and a custardy soft-poached egg enriched the soup as it leaked into the bowl. The pork chashu is on the one weak spot (too tough and gelatinous), but the restaurant bonus points for attentive service this late at night.
Where to drink nearby: Maison Premiere (298 Bedford Ave, 347-335-0446), a New Orleans-inspired den of absinthe and oysters, is practically around the corner. If the line is too long there, make the short 10 minute walk to Post Office (188 Havemeyer St, 718-963-2574), which boasts a deep collection of American-made brown spirits.—Erin Mosbaugh

Ramen Sanshiro

Address and phone: Inside SEO Restaurant, 249 E 49th St (212-355-7722)
Website:eatatseo.comLate-night ramen hours: Nightly from 11pm until the broth runs out (you're pushing your luck after 1am)
What's the deal?: This "secret" ramen spot isn't really a secret anymore, but it is a dependable drunk-food move for New Yorkers in the know. During regular hours, SEO Restaurant serves a variety of udon, soba, sushi, and izakaya-style grill items. But after 11pm, three types of ramen—shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), and tsukemen (dipping noodles)—anchor the short menu. You can grab a seat at the counter, but it's more fun to hang out in the back dining room, which looks out on a Zen garden.
What to order: While the shio variety has a sort of charming, unfussy simplicity to it, the shoyu ($9.50) is the better bowl, with a deeper roasted garlic flavor. The thin, soft noodles and pork char siu aren't the best in town, but they hit the spot pretty damn well when you're cold, tired, or drunk (or all three). If you're looking to keep a party going, grab a bottle of sake for $21. (Word to the wise: The restaurant is cash-only.)
Where to drink nearby: The Stag's Head (252 E 51st St, 212-888-2453) has a bit of Midtown East vibe to it, but hey—you're in Midtown East. The good news is, it has a solid craft-beer selection, including brews from the likes of Carton, Breckenridge, and Troegs.—Chris Schonberger

Saburi

Address and phone: 168 Lexington Ave (212-481-7766)
Website:saburiny.comLate-night ramen hours: Monday to Saturday until 2am; Sunday until 1am
What's the deal?: This lively Murray Hill izakaya specializes in wafu-chuka, or Japan’s version of Chinese food. Saburi’s menu features everything from expertly-made shrimp tempura to fried "kaori" chicken, along with more than half a dozen ramen options. The latter lists bowls with surprising ingredients like quail eggs and sliced duck, which can be a nice departure from the usual tonkotsu and miso ramens we've grown so accustomed to in NYC.
What to order: The ramen selection here is vast, but opt for the Champon ramen ($15), one of our favorites, and you will receive a big bowl of egg noodles in a subtle, milk-colored broth flavored with chicken and pork. The bowl includes an abundance of vegetables—everything from mushrooms to bok choy—along with tender squid and shrimp. A huge helping of veggies isn't such a bad idea after midnight, especially when they taste this good.
Where to drink nearby: The Cannibal (113 E 29th St, 212-686-5480)—which offers a sprawling list of international and domestic craft beers—is right around the corner. If you’re more in the mood for wine, Terroir Murray Hill (439 3rd Ave, 212-481-1920) has a deep, quirky wine list and passionate servers who will steer you toward something new.—Erin Mosbaugh

Hanjan

Address and phone: 36 W 26th St (212-206-7226)
Website:hanjan26.comLate-night ramen hours: Monday to Saturday 9pm-1am at the bar (dining room closes at midnight)
What's the deal?: Since opening his Korean-style izakaya at the end of 2012, chef Hooni Kim has offered a ramen special that hits the menu each night after 9pm. That means you have two options: Get a reservation for earlier in the evening and put in an order for the ramen as soon as it's available (it's a fine way to cap off a meal), or roll in later in the evening and try to snag a seat at the bar, where you can hunch over a double-handled cauldron of noodle soup and drink cloudy, unfiltered rice beer called makgeolli.What to order: If you're used to Japanese ramen, the spicy raymun ($16) is a satisfying change of pace. The broth takes 12 hours to make and involves boiling all sort of chicken, pork, and fish parts. It comes out piping hot and brick-red, packed with tangy chiles, curly noodles, slivers of roasted pork, and just-set soft-boiled egg. Apparently Kim got his inspiration from a brand of Korean instant ramen, but he's given the concept a serious upgrade.
Where to drink nearby: The stretch of 26th Street around Hanjan has become a whiskey lover's dream, with Maysville (17 W 26th St, 646-490-8240) offering one of the city's deepest selections of bourbon, and Flatiron Room (37 W 26th St, 212-725-3860) serving more than 700 different brown spirits.—Chris Schonberger

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